30 Seconds
by thekatthatbarks
Summary: Sakura is hurt on a mission with Kakashi and the next thirty seconds might be her last. Written for Kakasaku Week 2016 Day 4: Prompt: Countdown


"Sakura! Sakura!" Kakashi yelled as his he dropped to his knees beside her. "Sakura, I took them out. They're all gone. Are you – are you okay? Why aren't you healing yourself?"

Kakashi looked down at her as blood dripping from the side of her mouth. Her hands were placed over the wound in her side. It looked better than it did before, but it still looked bad. _Why hadn't she healed herself completely?_

Sakura coughed, "I don't have enough chakra to."

Kakashi moved to pick her up, "Alright, well, we're not far from the village. I can get you to the hospital in just a few minutes."

But Sakura shook her head and grabbed Kakashi's sleeve, "Kashi, I don't have a few minutes."

"No, no," Kakashi shook his head, "You do. The wound's not even that deep. You're going to be alright, Sakura."

Sakura gave him a sad smile, "The blade was coated in poison. You can't move me or I'll just die sooner."

"You're not going to _die_ ," Kakashi's voice began to shake, "Do you know what poison it was? We might have the antidote." He opened her pouch and dug through it with trembling fingers.

"I do," Sakura said a little breathless, "But it's an experimental antidote. It might not work."

Kakashi held out the vials to her, "Well, we have to try."

Sakura tried to raise her hand, but couldn't find the strength to keep it up and it fell back to the ground, "The purple one. It's…the purple one."

"Hey, hey," Kakashi lightly tapped her cheeks when he saw her eyes start to shut, "Stay with me, baby."

Sakura gave him a weak smile and looked at him tiredly, "Okay, just inject near the wound site."

After Kakashi did so, he asked her, "How will we know it worked?"

"In thirty seconds, my heart will either stop or it won't. If it doesn't, it worked," she told him and Kakashi could feel his own heart stopping at her words.

He grabbed her hand and held it in his. He tried not to think about how cold her skin already felt. He pulled down his mask, so she could see his face. She smiled at him and he tried to smile back, though it was hard.

"Kakashi," she spoke with a little more strength in her voice, "If I die –"

He cut her off with a glare, "You're not going to die."

She ignored him and continued, "You have to go home and pick Sakumo up from Ino's."

Kakashi closed his eyes, feeling tears start to build up, and listened to her, "He's not going to want to go, because he likes playing with Shika. But you have to tell him it's important. And you have to tell him. You have to be the one to tell him. I don't want someone else to. I don't want him to hear from anyone else."

Kakashi nodded and opened his eyes. He tried not to close them again, with every second he could be losing her. It broke his heart even more when he saw that Sakura was crying, "And tell him I love him, so much and that I'm sorry."

Kakashi let out a shaky breath, "I promise I will, Sakura."

She tried to move her hand in his, but she couldn't, "And keep living, Kakashi."

He opened his mouth to reply and she interrupted him, "Don't give up on life. I know you'll want to, but don't. You'll still have our precious boy and all of our friends, even if you don't have me."

His grip on her hand tightened and he pleaded, "Don't leave me, Sakura. I couldn't – I can't – I-I love you so much. _Please_."

More tears rolled down her face and he was sure he didn't look much different. Her voice came out in a whisper, "I don't want to, Kashi, believe me. I love you. I love our family. I want to see Sakumo grow up. I want to see him become the wonderful person I know he will be. I want to grow old with you and sit on rickety rocking chairs as our grandchildren play."

Kakashi leaned towards her and kissed her lips as she kept talking, "I want to have more children. I want a little girl. I want to name her Misaki and for her to have your silvery hair and eyes."

"I want that, too," He told her just as softly, "I need you, Sakura. You can't die on me."

Sakura took a deep breath and told him, "Fifteen seconds."

Kakashi felt his heart ripping inside his chest and it was hard to breathe, but he tried to. He had to tell her how much he loved her. How much she had changed him. How she had made him a better man. How she had given him a purpose, happiness, a _family_.

And so he told her, mumbling sweet nothings against her skin as he kissed every part of her face. He promised her everything he could if she could just hang on. He told her how happy she made him, how he never thought he was capable of love, but she had showed him he was.

She told him the same things back. How he had always protected her and kept her safe since she little. How he had become the person she trusted the most. How he had showed her what it was really like to truly love someone. How he had her a mother. How he encouraged her and made her feel more loved than anyone had.

They told each other all of these things, but they were both counting. Kakashi saw a million images flash through his mind along with the numbers. People always said that you saw your life flash before your eyes when you died. Then, why was _he_ seeing it? Maybe because his life was slipping away right in front of him.

Ten seconds and he remembered the first time he had thought about Sakura in a romantic way. They had been sparing and she had flown herself through the air to make her punch against him have much more impact. Instead of defending himself, Kakashi had just stood there as if caught in a trance. She had looked so beautiful, her skin glistening with sweat and her muscles moving gracefully beneath her skin. Her hair swayed in the wind like pink ribbons and her satisfied smile had been the death of him. The punch had broken his nose and fractured his jaw, but he didn't even remembering feeling any pain as Sakura leaned over him and scolded him for not blocking.

Nine seconds and he remembered their first date. Sakura had been surprised when he asked her out. She had blushed an endearing shade of pink that Kakashi will never forget. She had thankfully agreed making the nervous knots in Kakashi's stomach ease. She had dressed up for him. In a mint green dress that complimented her eyes. Kakashi had traded out his jounin uniform for a black dress shirt and pants. And he could still remember the way Sakura's eyes had traveled up and down his body in pleasant surprise. He had taken her to dinner and then walked with her beside the lake. He remembered how her eyes had glistened at the view of the stars. At the end of the night, he had kissed her through his mask after walking her home.

Eight seconds and he remembered their third date, when Sakura had torn his mask off and kissed him on the lips. The kiss was exhilarating and he melted against her. Her lips had felt even more soft without his mask in the way and he could taste her strawberry lip gloss. Her breath had been hot and her fingers buried in his hair, trying to pull him closer to her. He remembered how it had taken their lungs burning for them to pull apart. Sakura had kept her eyes closed and told him that she hadn't been trying to see his face, just that she wanted to really kiss him. Kakashi had chuckled and told her to open her eyes, before kissing her again.

Seven seconds and he saw Sakura's surprised expression when he asked her to marry him. He had been a nervous wreck the entire week and had asked her at the lake from their first date. Sakura had cried, telling him how much she loved him. Kakashi had never felt happier before that moment as she held onto him and kissed him. Kakashi's fingers had shook as he tried to put the ring on her finger and he had dropped the ring. Sakura had laughed as they spent probably ten minutes looking for it in the dark. Kakashi had felt embarrassed, but Sakura had told him there wasn't anything that he could have done to make the night more memorable.

Six seconds and he saw Sakura dressed in her wedding gown as he spun her around on the dance floor. Her hair had become a mess from dancing, the pins Ino had spent so much time making sure were perfect falling loose out of her hair. One of her heels had broken at some point and she had danced barefoot the rest of the night. Kakashi remembered how he couldn't let go of her that night, barely letting anyone had a dance with her. She was a horrible dancer, she stepped on his feet and she couldn't step to the beat. But Kakashi hadn't cared in the slightest. She was perfect and he didn't want to dance with anyone else.

Five seconds and he saw Sakura's face as she woke up in the morning. Her hair turned into a birds nest throughout the night and she looked like a pink puffball. She slept on him the entire night and he usually woke up feeling sore somewhere. She was always cold while he was always hot, which he thought worked out perfectly. Her skin was like ice. She'd kiss him awake every morning. It was sloppy and she had morning breath, but Kakashi always kissed her back just as lovingly. At first, she had been a horrible cook, not really having much practice cooking when she had mostly ate out. But she had gotten to the point where her homecooked meals were the only meals Kakashi ever wanted to eat. Or maybe he had just learned to love her cooking, because it was her.

Four seconds and he remembered Sakura telling him she was pregnant. It had been the happiest day of his life. And he had hugged her closely, thanking her and telling her how much he loved her. She had kissed him and hadn't commented on the tear streaks across his face. Sakura had been hormonal throughout her entire pregnancy. She was mean at times and cried at the slightest things, but she always told him she loved him and that she was so happy they were starting a family together. She had had weird cravings, eating anything spicy she could get her hands on. The weirdest craving had been cubed ice. She had loved to just sit there and chew on it. But it had to be a certain kind of ice and only cubed.

Three seconds and he remembered when Sakumo was born. Sakura had screamed in pain when she was in labor and had gripped Kakashi's hand so tight, he had twelve breaks in it. Sakumo had come out slightly smaller than average, but the doctor had told them to just make sure he ate a lot. His hair was a spikey pink and his eyes a bright green. Kakashi remembered being so thankful he looked so much like his beautiful mother. He remembered almost crying when Sakumo gripped onto Kakashi's finger with his tiny hand.

Two seconds and he remembered Sakura turning the radio on and pulling him off of the couch. They had danced in the small area of their living room. Kakashi had spun her around and around just to make her laugh, even though it wasn't appropriate for the music. Sakura had smiled at him and made Kakashi wonder how she could make every day feel more important than the day before. Her hair had been pulled up carelessly in a ponytail and she was in her pajamas. But she was still the most beautiful thing Kakashi had ever seen.

One second and he kissed Sakura on the lips with as much emotion as he could. She kissed him back weakly and her lips tasted salty from his tears. "I love you," he told her, hoping it wasn't for the last time.

"I love you, too," she told him breathless and when Kakashi looked at her, her eyes had closed.

"Sakura?" he called out to her, but she didn't respond.

"Sakura!" he cried and slapped at her cheeks, but her eyes still didn't open.

"No, no, no," Kakashi pressed his fingers against her neck in search of a pulse. It took a few seconds, but he finally felt it. It was weak, but it was still there.

He let out a shaky breath, "It worked." He felt so relieved he laughed, wiping at his eyes to try and clear his vision.

He didn't move her in fear of her heart stopping completely. He couldn't lose her when she was still within his reach. So, he summoned Pakkun and told him to get Tsunade or Shizune.

By the time Tsunade had reached them, Sakura's heart rate had picked up to where Kakashi wasn't scared to move her. Tsunade finished healing her wounds right there and told Kakashi it would be easier if she could extract any remaining poison back at the hospital. He had nodded weakly and carried her back to the village.

He was so relieved and happy that he didn't have to go home and tell his son that he couldn't protect his mother.

"Mom! You almost died. You're so cool!" Sakumo grinned at her from beside her hospital bed.

Kakashi narrowed his eyes at his son, "Sakumo, that is not _cool_."

Sakura giggled as Sakumo went on, leaning towards her on the balls of his feet, "No, Dad, you don't understand! Mom's a survivor! She was on the verge of death, but she lived! She won, she beat death!"

"Ah, I see," Kakashi said as he picked up his six year old and put him on the edge of the bed. Sakumo crawled towards Sakura and she opened her arms for him.

"Mom, can you teach me about antidotes and stuff?" Sakumo asked her with a wide grin.

Sakura laughed and raised an eyebrow, "What? You want to be cool like your mom and learn medical ninjutsu?

Sakumo nodded excitedly and Sakura hugged him to her chest. She smiled at Kakashi, "Looks like we have a prodigy on our hands."

Kakashi chuckled and stepped towards his little family, "I guess so."

"Mom," Sakumo picked up his head and looked at her, "Were you scared?"

Sakura nodded and he asked, "What were you thinking about?"

Sakura poked his nose with her finger and smiled, "You."

Sakumo giggled and hugged her again, "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, too, honey," Sakura kissed the top of his head.

Sakumo pulled away from her and jumped into Kakashi's lap, hugging his neck, "I love you, too, Dad. Thanks for bringing Mom home okay."

Kakashi squeezed him back, "Love you, too. And I always will."


End file.
